As President Joe Biden was taking the oath of office, a friend called to say how relieved she was that Trump was given his walking papers. To her mind, the chaos was about to end. I’ve thought about that conversation many times over the past 20 months, for to my mind, the chaos has only escalated.
We are born with the instinct to feel safe and secure. But what has happened to our country in the past couple of years? Crime has escalated across the nation. Some of the most popular cities, home to industry, academic institutions, and millions of people, have become unsafe to residents, workers, students, and visitors.
The president who promised unity — even during his inaugural address — continually seeks to divide us. It’s not enough to divide us into Democrats and Republicans. He’s gone after “MAGA Republicans,” suggesting they threaten personal and economic rights and embrace political violence.
Despite the efforts of beleaguered agency personnel, our southern border has become a sieve. Millions of people, some known to authorities, many not, have spread like wildfire throughout the nation. Some may have come in pursuit of a better life. Others may have come to cause harm by peddling deadly drugs like fentanyl.
Whereas Trump exuded strength in his approach to other nations, Biden manifests weakness. This week, amid rumblings about nuclear war, including Biden’s reference to Armageddon, we learned his administration purchased nearly $300 million worth of a drug used to treat injuries suffered during radiological and nuclear emergencies. Why?
We’re hearing about potential food shortages.
We’re relying on other nations for our fuel, not because we have no other alternative, but because the president created the dependency by shutting down domestic production.
With record inflation, we’re having to stretch our dollars at the grocery store and the gas station. Store shelves are often depleted. Restaurants, hotels, senior citizen homes are short staffed.
We’re told we face an existential crisis due to climate change, formerly known as global warming. Consequently, we must alter our way of life by purchasing prohibitively expensive electronic vehicles and solar panels, though a viable means of disposing of them has not been identified. And, as Floridians learned during Hurricane Ian, when electric batteries catch fire, it’s awfully tough to put them out.
Our educational system is deteriorating. Even our president doesn’t know how to count. In a recent speech, he said, “Let me start off with two words. Made in America.” To be fair, that might be more a reflection of his cognitive decline than his academic achievement. For those who haven’t noticed — or can’t accept reality — Biden is not driving with all four wheels on the road.
Though there were signs, his decline wasn’t as obvious during the campaign, since Biden was barely visible. He leveraged the COVID pandemic to hide in his basement, limit his interactions with both the media (a mostly reliable ally), and the public.
And so, to be fair, I understand why my friend was optimistic about his presidency. Her values align with what she perceived to be his values.
Now, two years later, we find ourselves in familiar territory. For interestingly — distressingly — as the U.S. goes, so goes Minnesota.
The state is in disarray. Our police forces are decimated. Progressives are taking aim at every pillar upon which the nation and the state were built. Though it’s hard to come to grips with the notion, this isn’t by accident; it’s by design.
They’re destroying the language. They’re destroying the educational system. They’re making the cities and even the suburbs increasingly unsafe. Even high school football games aren’t safe in 2022.
They’ve gone all in on abortion, as if the most important issue Minnesotans face in 2022 is whether to birth a baby, and as if there’s no viable way to protect against unwanted pregnancies. In fact, this election is about the future of the children who have been born. What will they learn in the classroom? Will they feel safe enough to play outside? Will their parents be able to feed and clothe them properly?
In the face of one scandal after another, first our governor, and our now our secretary of state, are taking a play out of Biden’s book. They’re hiding. They’re refusing to answer difficult questions about their governance by debating in front of live audiences.
That’s not leadership. It’s cowardice.
Let’s not make the same mistake twice. Voters must remind individuals who seek or hold elected office that they work for the taxpayers. Be it the president, the governor, or a school board member — we elect you. You answer to the citizens. If you don’t have the courage to face the electorate and be graded on your performance, you don’t deserve the job.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not represent an official position of Alpha News.
Caryn Sullivan
A retired attorney and author of the award-winning memoir, "Bitter or Better: Grappling With Life on the Op-Ed Page," Caryn Sullivan has inspired readers with her thoughtful commentary for the past two decades. To learn more about Caryn’s work or to connect, visit carynmsullivan.com
